


Who Does Peter Like More?

by orphan_account



Series: New Avengers [3]
Category: Spider-Man - All Media Types, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Comedy, Gen, Steve Rogers & Tony Stark Friendship, no civil war
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-15
Updated: 2016-08-29
Packaged: 2018-05-26 17:36:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 6,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6249196
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve and Tony are both convinced that Peter like them the most. When he dodges the question, they decide to do everything they can to prove they are the better 'role model'. Much to Peter's embarrassment.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Making the Bet

**Author's Note:**

> Re-written to have Spider-Man live in an apartment to fit with the MCU.

Peter had only been an Avenger for a few weeks, and everyone already liked him. He seemed to just naturally get along with everyone. But if you were to ask everyone why, no one would give the same answer. Pietro would say 'he's just funny.' His sister, Wanda would say the opposite, that 'he treats everyone seriously and with respect.' Natasha would never admit it in a million years, but she found it nice to have someone youthful and fun around, who wasn't a egotistical douche like a certain genius, billionaire, playboy philanthropist she knew. Thor had yet to meet him. And then there was Steve and Tony. They both saw themselves in young Peter. Tony saw a genius crime fighter, Steve saw a young man who was willing to do what was right no matter the cost. Both were true, of course. Everyone at the Avengers Tower liked Peter. That's why Peter spent as much time there as he could. It was perhaps the only place he knew where everyone liked him (apart from home.) And as a bonus, it was a good place to get patched up in case you got in a little too deep. As was the case today, when Peter walked into the Tower living quarters with sand filling up every inch of his costume. Today, only Steve, Tony, and Natasha were in.

"Hey guys." Peter greeted. "Where are the others?"

"Wakanda. T'Challa asked for some help." Natasha said. Peter removed his mask and several small bits of sand fell on the floor. "Please don't tell me you wore that to the beach."

"Nah, I met some guy made of sand. He did not pull any punches." Peter remarked. He took off a shoe and out poured enough sand for a sandcastle. Tony smirked slightly.

"You know, I could make a few improvements to the suit if you want." Tony offered. He didn't notice, but Steve gave him a passing glare.

"I'm fine with this, thanks." Peter replied. He walked off to a private room, where he could get his suit off in privacy.

"You offered to fix his suit." Steve stated.

"You love the colours red, white and blue." Tony replied. "Oh sorry, I thought we were stating the painfully obvious."

"You don't offer to make anything for anyone. The only reason you made anything for the team is because Thor put his hammer on the toilet till you caved in." Steve pressured.

"I'm guessing there is a point to all of this." Tony said, only half paying attention. Natasha watched with a keen grin. She knew how entertaining Steve and Tony arguing was.

"Yeah, why are trying to impress him?" Steve finally asked.

"I like the kid, is that a crime?" Tony said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Is someone feeling a little defensive?" Natasha asked.

"I'm not being defensive at all." Tony said quickly.

"I wasn't asking you. Steve, you seem a bit too caring about this. Even by your standards." Natasha pressured. It was Steve's turn to give a vague shrug.

"I do care about him. He's a good kid. Loyal, smart, caring. Of course I like him." said Steve.

"Well, that is very sweet, but we all know he likes me the best." Tony claimed. Both Steve and Natasha looked at him like he was insane.

"Is that so?" Steve asked. Tony did not respond, preferring to drink alcohol than talk with Steve. "Tell you what, why don't we ask him?"

"Ask who what?" Peter said. He walked back into the room. Tony gave Steve a daring look.

"Pietro's been stealing our food again, so we were going to ask Thor to pin him down with his hammer if he shows up again." Steve lied. Tony tried to hide his grin.

"Right. Anyway. Nat, can I borrow one of your stinger things? It might be useful against the sand guy." Peter asked.

"Yeah, sure." Natasha answered. Peter put his mask back on and jumped out of the nearby window. "Well, I guess we will never who he likes most now."

"Hang on, hang on, we're holding a party this week. To celebrate the anniversary of the Avengers. Why don't we ask him then?" Tony suggested.

"What's in it for you?" Steve asked.

"Nothing." Tony replied. He was never a good liar.

"There is always something in it for you." Steve continued.

"OK, if that's how you want to play it. $100." Tony offered.

"Not enough. If he likes me the most, I get to drive your car for a month. One of your good cars, not the ones you let rot in your garage." Steve said.

"What if he likes me the most?" Tony asked.

"How about the Avengers get to play frisbee with your shield? And you are forbidden to play." Natasha suggested.

"Fair enough." Steve answered begrudgingly. He shook Tony's hand. Steve and Tony both silently planned to stir the odds in their favor. Unfortunatly, both plans revolved around the same thing. Helping Peter in his day to day routine.


	2. Getting Dropped Off

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the delay between chapters. got kind of busy with other stuff.

Peter was woken up suddenly by a loud ringing. Instinct kicked in and he jumped onto the ceiling. He looked around with a panicky twitch to his movements. It only took him about 3 seconds to find the source of the ringing. It was his new ringtone. Peter sighed loudly and dropped to the floor. He turned off the alarm and fell back into the bed.

"I have got to stop doing that." he said to himself. One of these days, Aunt May would walk in on Peter crawling on the ceiling, and there was no getting out of that without a few confessions. Although, there were worse things for Aunt May to catch Peter doing. He put on an old shirt, brown jeans and brought down a blue jacket for the walk to school. He was still incredibly tired. He considered drifting off in his bed for a few minutes. Maybe half an hour, since school was only 10 minutes way by web. Then he remembered that he promised Mary Jane to walk with her to school. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and went downstairs, where he saw that Aunt May had made him toast. "You really don't have to do this, you know."

"Well, if you want to make your own, I suggest you get up earlier." Aunt May replied. Peter grinned and put some jam on the toast. Before he took his first bite, he turned on the TV. It was set to the news channel. And the story was, of course, Spider Man. At least most of the TV channels were a bit fair towards Peter's antics. He took his first bite and put his jacket on. "Wait, you're going already?"

"I'm walking today. Don't want to be late." Peter said. He left out Mary Jane, since Aunt May would only ask him to ask her out on a date.

"Well, don't get run over." Aunt May warned. Peter took his toast with him, intending to eat it on the way. He walked out the front door and heard a bang in the opposite apartment. Mary Jane's apartment. Peter could have walked away, gone to school on his own, but he'd promised Mary Jane, so he had to stay until she came out. This may take a while. Peter could still remember when they first moved in. The noises kept him up many a night until some other neighbors complained, and they saved their arguments for every morning. He didn't have to wait for long this time. Mary Jane walked out in a hurry. Peter heard her parents continue the argument just before the door closed on it's own. He didn't catch much, just some rant about bowling. Mary Jane put on a brave face.

"They didn't wake you up, did they?" she asked kindly.

"No, my alarm made me jump out of my bed." Peter joked. Mary Jane giggled a little. "Look, Gwen's dad is the Captain, I'm sure if-"

"I told you, no police." Mary Jane said quickly. Peter went silent quickly. He did not want to make her angry, especially since he was about to walk with her. "Sorry, shall we go then?"

"Ladies first." Peter said, trying to be polite. Mary Jane walked past him, and he followed shortly behind. The lift down to the ground floor was extremly awkward. Peter couldn't think of anything to say. And the more the silence remaned, the more Peter felt he should just not talk at all. They left the apartment complex and turned right, which is where Peter saw a parked limo. It was a proper posh one, the kind normally reserved for the President. But when he saw the license plate, his jaw dropped, his heart sunk, and his nerves went into overload. It said 'S1ARK 929'. "Unbelievable."

"Is that..." Mary Jane started, but she received the answer to that question when Tony Stark himself opened the door. Peter tried to communicate 'GO AWAY!!' to him in a look, but Tony ignored it and hugged him. Even with his super strength, the hug felt painful to Peter.

"Good morning, Peter. Sleep well? Judging by those black eyes, I guess not. Need a drink to freshen up?" he asked. This was brand new behavior for Tony. And Peter wasn't sure if he liked it.

"Hang on. Peter, you know Tony Stark? How?!" Mary Jane asked. Peter's jaw dropped even lower.

"You didn't tell her? Shame on you, keeping this a secret." Tony said, sounding shocked. Peter shook his head violently, silently begging Tony to not say anything more. "Peter has been interning for me at Stark Tower. He's even helped me keep the Iron Man suits in check."

"Seriously? You've touched an Iron Man suit?" Mary Jane asked. Peter sighed with relief. That could have been far worse. "And you didn't tell me?"

"He is very shy about that kind of stuff, isn't he?" Tony remarked. "Well, since your both here, why don't I drop you both off to school?"

"Awesome, thanks, Mr. Stark." Mary Jane said. Peter was very confused. Tony Stark was dropping him off to school. Mary Jane climbed into the limo first. Before Tony got in, Peter stopped him and closed the door.

"What the hell are you doing?" Peter asked.

"I'm dropping you off at school. I just said that." Tony said casually.

"No, I mean, why?" Peter asked, a bit more confrontational this time.

"Honestly, I got bored." Tony said. He got into the car and Peter got in with him. About a year or more earlier, this would have been the greatest day in Peter's life. But now, it was nerve racking. Tony was not good with secrets. Feeling full of regret, Peter stepped into the limo.


	3. A Surprise Visit

Being dropped off at school by Iron Man seemed like the greatest thing in the world. At least it did in theory. In practice, Peter wasn't so sure. Tony spent most of the time listening to Mary Jane tell him things about Peter that Peter did not want a guy like Tony knowing. But most of all, why was he doing this now? Peter had been an Avenger for a while now, and he'd known Tony for a few weeks before he was a member of the team. So why did he start doing stuff like this now? Thankfully, traffic was light (by New York standards) and they arrived at school in just under 20 minutes. Peter and Mary Jane both got out of school to a lot of stunned faces. Tony veered his head out of the limo and called them back. Peter felt an ice cold nerve fire though his spine. He spent his whole school life trying to keep everyone's attention away from him, and now Tony was making him feel like sheep in a lion's den.

"Hey, Peter. Don't forget about the party. Don't worry about wearing anything too fancy." Tony said very loudly. "Hope to see your lovely friend there too. Adios."

Adios? That was a new one. Mary Jane looked absolutely thrilled. At least she felt better. Peter walked into school feeling like he had a target on his back. Word always spread like wildfire in school. By the end of the day, everyone would be talking about Puny Parker hanging out with the coolest superhero on the planet. As if the day couldn't get any worse, Peter heard a familiar voice bellow behind him.

"Hey, Parker, I need a favour." the voice said across the hallway. It was Flash. Peter felt himself shiver. Years of high school taught him to be prepared for a random punch whenever Flash was in the room. He turned and saw the jock level with him. Even with his super powers, Peter felt small compared to him. "I hope you've got your camera with you. Me and the football team, we need some good photos so we can prove to college how good we are. Maybe even send them to a professional team. So if I ever become famous, you get to say you had a hand in that."

"Yeah, sure." Peter said quickly. Flash ruffled his hair and chuckled arrogantly. Peter just stood in place and took it, a common survival tactic in school.

"Good man. Lunch time, out at the football field." Flash said before he walked away.

* * *

Peter remembered the last time he tried out football. It was right after he first got bitten by that radioactive spider. He caught everyone by surprise. Of course, he kept his powers on the down low, so that no one got suspicious. In the locker room, Flash confronted him and for the first time in his life, Peter stood up to him. Which resulted in Peter breaking most of the bones in Flash's hand. And then things spiraled from there. 

Today, everyone thought Peter's skills on the field were just dumb luck, since he deliberately failed at the next tryouts. Peter was now back on that field, sitting on the sidelines and watching Flash dominate the field. Flash was not smart, that even he knew. But everyone knew he was a force to be reckoned with in every sport you could imagine. But football in particular he excelled at. Peter caught several good photos of him running right through the other team like they were paper. Not only that, he surprisingly showed good strategy on the field. He seemed to know what the rival team would do ahead of time and change his methods accordingly. For a moment, Peter started to admire him. And then he was distracted by another familiar voice.

"I guess football hasn't changed much." the voice said. Only Steve could say something like that. Peter turned and saw him in civilian clothes, and some shades and a cap.

"Captain, sunglasses and a cap are not as conspicuous as you seem to think." Peter remarked.

"Yeah, well, they seem to be working for me just fine." Steve replied.

"What are you doing here?" Peter asked calmly. No one was looking at them. The football match in front of them was too much of a spectacle to ignore.

"We've found another HYDRA base. It's in South America, in the middle of the Amazon. I came to ask if you'd like to come with. We could use you on this one." Steve said. Peter blushed. Steve asking him for help was rather flattering for Peter, considering Captain America was his childhood hero.

"Look, I'd love to beat up Nazi's, but... I've got tons of homework, exams, my boss at the Bugle's given me another deadline for some more photos of you know who. Besides, I'm sure you guys can handle it. You are the Avengers, after all." Peter answered honestly.

"Fair enough." Steve replied. Peter didn't notice, but Steve was glowing with pride. He was glad Peter prioritized his academic future over fighting. It's certainly something Steve could never do. "See you at the party."

* * *

Peter didn't notice how truly strange today was until he was in the lift up to his floor. Iron Man had given him a ride to school in a limo, Flash had asked him to take photos of him, and Captain America had popped to visit him at school. And then, as he neared his floor, he heard faint tools. As Peter walked to his room, they were no longer faint. They were the opposite. Peter had to fight the urge to cover his ears as he unlocked the apartment and saw Aunt May trying to listen to music. She looked as distressed from the noise as Peter did.

"What's that about?" Peter shouted.

"They're fixing the generator! They said it will take them till 12 at night to finish!" Aunt May answered. Fantastic. Peter couldn't do homework or revision with that racket.

"I'm going to Gwen's for the night. I'll be back in the morning!" Peter shouted back. Aunt May nodded, smiled, and put her fingers in her ears. As Peter walked out, he turned his web shooters on and climbed out the nearest window. Tonight was his night off crime fighting, and he wasn't going to spend it having his eardrums destroyed. He headed into the city, towards Avengers Tower.


	4. A Game of Chess

Peter swung to the Tower in very little time. He mostly kept to the tallest rooftops so that no one on street level got a glimpse of him. Today was his day off, and he didn't want people questioning why Spider-Man just swung through the city ignoring crime. J. Jonah Jameson had enough ammo on him already. When he reached the tower, he swung to the highest window and landed perfectly on it. He saw two members in the Tower. Wanda and Vision. They were doing something on the table. He knocked on the window quietly so as to not completely shock them. Wanda and Vision both turned to him and Peter gave a slight wave. Wanda waved her hand and the window above Peter opened. He climbed in and jumped next to Vision.

"Hey guys. What are you doing?" he asked. He had the answer already. They were playing chess. And by the looks of it, Wanda was winning.

"We are playing a game designed to test the strategy and adaptability of the players involved." Vision stated.

"Or chess, as normal people call it." Wanda teased. She took a pawn with a knight. Vision grabbed his bishop.

"Whoa, stop right there. If you take the knight, than Wanda can take your bishop with her other knight. Keep the bishop back and move... that pawn forward." Peter advised.

"Oh come on, don't give him advice." Wanda complained.

"I'd give you advice, but you clearly don't need it." Peter retorted.

"Benefits of reading minds." Wanda said back. Vision brought his bishop back and moved his pawn to b6.

"You are a skilled chess player, I guess?" Vision asked. Wanda looked closely on the board. Peter went to the nearby kitchen and looked in the fridge.

"Back before I lived with my aunt and uncle, I went to a proper school for rich kids. And me and Harry Osborn played chess a lot. In fact, one time I went to his house, and I beat Norman Osborne at it. Apparently, that was the first time he'd lost a chess match since he was 8." Peter said. He grabbed a Coke out of the fridge and went back to watch the game. Vision had taken Wanda's castle with his own. Wanda was just about to take Vision's castle with her bishop, but Peter stepped in yet again.

"If you take him, Vision can get check." Peter warned.

"No he-" Wanda started. Then she took a closer look at the board. Then she moved the bishop back and moved a pawn closer to Vision's side of the board. "I thought you weren't giving me advice."

"Well, that wouldn't be fair, would it?" Peter answered. Wanda smiled, and he sat down and resigned to watch, even though he had homework to do.

"By the way, you know the party we're all going to this week?" Wanda asked.

"Yeah, what about it?" Peter asked back.

"Well, we're holding it at the mansion now. There are too many people for the Tower to accommodate." Wanda explained.

"Apparently Thor has invited several of his Asgardian friends. He warned us to bring enough food and drinks to feed 20 men, and that's on top of the refreshments for the other guests." Vision added.

"Right." Peter answered. Meeting Thor sounded like an event unto itself. Meeting him along with several other gods, and at a party, that would be perhaps too much for him. He took out his homework and got to it while Wanda and Vision continued their chess game. Sometimes, they'd ask Peter for advice on the next move, but they mostly left him to it. Near the end of their game, Vision had the most pieces, but Wanda had more good pieces than him. As Peter quietly watched, his phone went off. Text. He picked up his phone, and the text he received was very odd. Wanda noticed.

"What's that about?" she asked.

"It's a guy from school. He says I sent a bouncer after him." Peter answered.

"Could you please elaborate?" Vision asked.

"Uh, he says a big man wearing shades confronted him outside school and ordered him not to bully me again." Peter replied. Wanda and Vision went back to their game suspiciously quickly. As if avoiding the topic. Knowing something was up, Peter decided to ignore it for now and went back to his homework. But he knew who this 'bouncer' was. It seemed Tony wasn't the only one trying to make Peter's personal life better by screwing it up.


	5. 'Foreign Exhange Student'

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter walks home from school expecting to relax for an hour or so before swinging over to the Mansion. Then he meets Wanda right outside his apartment.

Yet another history test nailed. Peter would have felt good about himself if he hadn't spent the previous night wide awake fighting crime. He hadn't slept in what felt like an eternity. But now, twas time to relax. Peter was struggling to not drift off in the lift. But he had his bed to look forward to. A few hours of sleep before someone knocked on the door asking Peter to come to a 'party.' He rubbed his eyes and stood straight. The lift dinged and the doors opened. He walked to see the apartment in sight. And standing right outside it was Wanda Maximoff. Peter's eyes widened with fear. It was one thing for Tony Stark to show up unannounced, but Wanda Maximoff? This was even worse. Peter still felt a horrible shiver every time he remembered when Mary Jane first popped in asking for milk. Aunt May just went on and on about how amazing Peter was. He did not want to go through that again. He walked over quietly and Wanda noticed him.

"Hey, Pete." Wanda said in a normal volume, which was far too much for Peter. "We need help setting up. So I'm here to pick you up early."

"OK, that's fine, but you can't be here." Peter said quietly.

"Why? Is your Aunt one of those people who hate people like me?" Wanda asked, looking concerned.

"No, not that. If she sees you, she'll think you're my girlfriend." Peter said quickly, trying to shout at her while still whispering.

"Why would she think I'm your girlfriend?" Wanda whispered, finally catching on.

"She thinks every girl I hang out with is my girlfriend. Just stay out here, and I'll-" Peter started to plan, but he was cut off. Aunt May opened the door. Peter and Wanda both became very silent.

"Hello, you two. Peter, who's the pretty girl?" Aunt May asked. Peter felt like he was full of ice.

"I'm Elizabeth. Nice to meet you." Wanda greeted. Peter gave her a strange look.

"Nice to meet you, too." Aunt May greeted back. They shook hands. Aunt May was giving Peter some approving looks. Peter only felt even more embarrassed. "I'm guessing by the accent, you're a foreign exchange student."

"Yes, I'm here for a few weeks. Peter's been helping me with my classes. He's really smart." Wanda said. Peter was sure Wanda was trying to help him, but this was only making things worse.

"That he is. He's always been a little know it all." Aunt May replied. Was this just a contest to embarrass Peter? "Well, would you two like to come in?"

"Oh, actually, we're going out." Wanda replied kindly. "We just popped up to tell you before we headed off."

"Aw, Peter, you never told me you were going on a date." Aunt May asked.

"Oh no, no no no, she's not- not my girlfriend." Peter replied quickly.

"Actually- no he's- we aren't going-" Wanda replied just as quickly.

"We aren't- Wan- Elizabeth has a boyfriend already." Peter added.

"Yeah, this is just a party. Nothing special, just a gathering of people. Including my boyfriend." Wanda added as well.

"OK, well, you two enjoy this party of yours. And Peter, if you get lucky, use protection." Aunt May added. That last comment felt like a ice cold dagger. Aunt May closed the door and Peter had never felt more awkward in his entire life. Which was saying something.

"Well, she was nice." Wanda complimented. She walked by Peter to the lift, and Peter quickly followed.

"Could you do me a huge favour and not tell... anyone about this? Please?" Peter pleaded.

"My lips are sealed." Wanda promised. The lift down was somewhat awkward. They walked out of the apartment complex to see Natasha in her own car.

"You two took a while. Did something special go down? Or someone?" Nat hinted. OK, _now_ it was the most embarrassing moment in Peter's life.

"Very funny, Natasha." Wanda replied.

"What exactly do you guys need me to help with?" Peter asked, trying to change the subject.

"Well, we need you to help set up the computers as Tony busy at a business conference in England. And possibly some heavy lifting." Nat explained, and they drove off. Peter silently prayed the party would make up for that last few minutes of hell.


	6. Heavy Lifting

Peter had never been to the Avengers Mansion before. It was a very secretive place. Unlike Avengers Tower, which everyone knows about, the mansion was kept a complete secret from the public. Many theorized that Tony didn't want another 'Ultron' incident so close to a city again. Knowing how paranoid Tony could be, Peter thought that may be true. He never asked, of course. On the way to the mansion, he had another question on his mind. What were Steve and Tony playing at? Two people Peter wanted out of his personal life were starting to get dangerously close to it. Something was going on that Peter didn't know about. But for now, he had to worry about setting up the party. A weird feeling, since most people kept Peter away from parties. Now he was doing to have one with the Avengers. He truly had moved up in the world.

Nat had been driving through the trees for ages now, but then the trees cleared. The Mansion wasn't easy to miss. It looked very much like a Stark building. Very shiny, futuristic, clean. Peter couldn't help but be impressed. Nat parked the car a bit too violently for Peter's taste. When she and Wanda got out, Peter followed closely. In a building like this, getting lost would be a big problem. They walked in and saw the main hall. It was expansive, and surprisingly empty.

"Huh." Peter remarked by accident.

"What?" Nat asked.

"I thought it would be... fuller. Where's all the lights? Speakers? Party stuff?" Peter asked.

"Well, you remember when I said you need to do some heavy lifting?" Nat hinted.

It turned heavy lifting meant the bar, all the drinks to go with it, the speaker and sound systems, tables and chairs, and pretty much anything else you can imagine needing at a party. Even with Peter's super strength, this was ungodly exhausting. It seemed whenever he had brought something in, something else needed bringing in with it that he missed. Chair after chair came in. Table after table, some of them felt so heavy even the Hulk would struggle. Peter brought in a table for the corner by the window and there was Wanda sitting in a chair texting.

"Why do I have to do all the heavy lifting?" Peter asked. You'd have thought he'd run 50 miles by his voice. "Especially since you can lift things with your mind."

"I had to sort out the entire second floor." Wanda replied. "Besides, you are the strongest guy here."

"What about Vision? That guy can make himself as heavy as diamond, and he can't be bothered to do a bit of heavy lifting." Peter complained. Wanda didn't make a verbal response. She merely pointed up. Peter looked up and saw Vision floating while attaching the lights to the ceiling. As if on cue, he looked back down at Peter.

"Good evening Mr. Parker. How did you do with your history exam?" Vision asked.

"Uh, passed it. B+" Peter replied, his jaw hung open.

"I'm glad to hear it." Vision said kindly. He phased through the ceiling and Peter looked back at Wanda, who was looking a bit smug.

"I stand corrected." Peter said. He had been in a bit of a foul mood ever since the car journey. Either how long it took or how Nat never stopped teasing him. Or the nagging feeling that Steve and Tony were up to something. He didn't have long to figure out which one it was. A large and strong hand slapped him on the back. Peter felt like he'd been kicked by a horse. The owner of the hand walked in front of Peter. He was extremely tall, blonde with a strong short beard.

"You must be Peter Parker. Mr. Stark has told me a lot about you." the man said.

"Uh, first of all, ow." Peter replied. He rubbed the area where the man hit him. "And yes, I am Peter. Hi. Who are you?"

"I am Thor Odinson." the man said. Peter looked down and saw a large hammer in his hand. Mjolnir.

"Aw, right, nice to meet you. Sorry, I didn't recognize you without the... cape." Peter explained. Thor merely chuckled.

"Think nothing of it. I will see you at the party. Make sure to come say hello to Sif and the Warriors Three. I'm sure they'd very much like to hear some of your stories." Thor added. He patted Peter on the back again, gave Wanda a nod and headed off. Peter massaged his back again.

"Does he always do that?" Peter asked. That thing about stories was worrying him. He had trouble impressing his closest friends, how was he going to tell a good story to Asgardian warriors?

"I don't know. I know barely any more than you do." Wanda replied. "Anyway, you might want to hurry up with the rest of the furniture. Party starts in an hour."

"Yay." Peter replied sarcastically. This party was beginning to feel less and less worth the trip.


	7. Eavestropping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter decides to investigate why Steve and Tony have been acting weirdly - all while trying to impress Thor and his Asgardian friends.

Peter had to admit: this party was kicking ass. A lot of people had turned up, but not enough to make it impossible to move. The music was perfect, and the atmosphere was intoxicating. What little time Peter had spent at parties, he had learned to use his hearing to pick out certain groups. A bunch of politicians who supported the Avengers were in a corner discussing an upcoming UN meeting. Some of Tony friends had grouped together by the bar. Several war veterans were all sat together in the middle of the room. And at the end of the hall, Peter could hear Thor and his godly warrior friends eating enough food to feed a small country. Peter himself was barely eating or drinking, since he was trying to focus on one thing: finding Tony Stark or Steve Rogers. He needed to know why they had taken such a sudden interest in Peter's life. And, low and behold, Tony walked up to Peter right on cue.

"Alright, kid? Enjoying the party?" Tony said with a vodka martini in his hand. He padded Peter on the back with his spare hand right where Peter was bruised by Thor.

"Yep, it's much better than a school dress up for Halloween." Peter said as he sneaked a bug onto Tony's jacket.

"Where's Mary Jane?" Tony asked. Peter couldn't bring himself to verbally answer. "Hey, kid, if you want to impress her, a party with Tony Stark isn't a bad way to go. How about this, I'll arrange so she and you can come to the Tower. I'll let her get hands on with one of the suits. That's sure to get you at least three dates."

"Uh, thanks, I'll keep it in mind." Peter said. Tony got a call on his Bluetooth before he could continue talking. Much to Peter's silent delight, he walked off talking to Pepper. Peter walked off to find somewhere quiet. Unfortunatly, he didn't have time. It seemed Thor wanted Peter to come and chat with Sif and the Warrior's Three.

"Hello, young Parker. Come, come, I must introduce to my friends." Thor bellowed. He almost pushed Peter with him as they walked to the other Asgardians. Sif was arm wrestling with Hogun. Peter and Thor both waited to see the outcome. Their arms seemed well matched, but Hogun started to shake a little. A few seconds later, his arm gave way and Sif claimed victory. Thor applauded her and Peter clapped quietly, trying to draw as little attention to himself as possible. But sure enough, Thor ruined any chance of Peter slipping away unnoticed.

"A fine victory as always, Sif." Thor started. "I'd like to introduce you two to someone else. This is Peter Parker. He's the youngest Avenger, and from what I've heard, he's a damn good warrior."

"He doesn't look much like a fighter to me." Volstagg remarked.

"Well, nice meeting you all. I should get going." Peter said quickly. He needed to listen to the mic he placed on Tony soon.

"Are you sure you don't want some Asgardian drinks?" Thor offered kindly.

"Maybe later." Peter replied. He walked away rather quickly. He was probably giving them a bad impression, but at the moment, he had more pressing matters to care about. He walked to a quiet corner and put his headphones on. Not quite knowing what he would hear, he turned on the phone and activated the mic.

"-can't just forfeit a bet. That defeats the purpose of a bet." Tony said to someone. That someone turned out to be Steve.

"I'm not trying to forfeit, I'm suggesting that you forfeit before you embarrass yourself." Steve replied.

"Captain, I think you will find that I am winning by miles." Tony said back. Peter was smirking. They sounded like an old married couple. But that smirk did not last long.

"What, because you gave him one ride to school in a fancy car? Yeah, that's how you impress him." Steve retorted. Peter pulled the headphones out violently. Sighing with anger, he headed back to the party and started looking for Steve and Tony. But before he did, he went back to visit Thor and the other Asgardians, who almost cheered when he walked into view.

"Hey, guys. Is that alcohol?" Peter asked, pointing at a few wooden mugs.

"Yep, finest meed Asgard offers." Thor said.

"Good, cause I need some Dutch courage." Peter said. He grabbed a mug and started downing it. Down and down the meed went. Peter's swallows grew louder and more plentiful, and the Asgardians were stunned. The other mortals who had tried it could barely take a sip. Peter was downing the entire thing in one fell swoop. Though Peter regretted it immediately, as the alcohol hit him like a train. He drank the last drop and breathed heavily for air. Thor took his mug from him while Sif and the Warrior's Three applauded him. Peter felt his throat burn up and his head begin to buzz. "Holy shit, that's strong."

"Indeed, but you've taken it like a true warrior." Volstagg commended.

"Thanks. Might have some more later. If I can still walk." Peter joked as he walked away. Now it was time to confront Steve and Tony.


	8. Angry Parker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter has finally found out about the bet - and he is not happy.

Steve, Natasha, Wanda, Tony and Vision were all talking in the Avengers meeting room, where none of the party guests would hear them. Despite the walls and doors all being glass, it was difficult to hear through it. Steve and Tony were doing most of the talking. Well, technically, they were shouting. A lot. It took Natasha to finally stop them from yelling each others eardrums off.

"Guys, I don't think a shouting match will decide who wins the bet. I'll just go ask Peter who he likes more."

"Hang on, why don't I do it?" Tony asked.

"Because he'll just say you to not offend you. Same goes for Steve." Nat answered. Steve gave a vague but agreeing nod.

"Maybe we should send someone who doesn't have any bias. Like Vision, Vision should ask Pete."

"Pete?" Steve asked, sounding surprised and almost offended.

"I don't feel comfortable being involved in this bet beyond observation." Vision stated.

"What's wrong with Pete?" Tony said, not hearing Vision.

"For god's sake, I'll ask him if it'll shut everyone up." Wanda shouted.

"Don't bother." said a new and angry voice. It was Peter. Everyone suddenly went very silent. For about a second.

"Hey, Peter." Tony said, either not noticing Peter's anger or trying to calm him down with flattery. "How's the party? We're just talking about a HYDRA base in Russia, and we were going to ask you if you perhaps, wanted to-"

"Save the bullshit for the Secretary of State, Tony." Peter said sharply. It shut Tony up instantly. "I'm going to ask this once. Whose idea was this?"

"Uh, mine. Technically." Tony admitted.

"Technically?" Steve asked.

"Well, a bet does require at least two people. So that makes it our idea. And Natasha's." Tony explained.

"Hey, don't drag me into this." Nat said quickly.

"Tony, with all due respect, ... are you an idiot?" Peter asked. "I know that secret identities don't really mean anything to you, but they do for me. As far as everyone knows, I'm just a kid from Queens who can't throw a punch to save his life and is the least cool person in the room at all times. So what is everyone going to think when you, an Avenger, drop me off at school talking about a party."

"Come on, no one is going to guess you're Spider-Man cause some rich guy gave you a lift." Tony said, trying to defend himself.

"Tony, you're not exactly an expert on how middle class people think." Steve jabbed. A bit of a mistake.

"And you're from the 1940's, you're not much better." Peter cut in. "And by the way, you were even worse. You threatened Flash."

"To get him off your back." Steve said.

"Well, it's not gonna work. He thinks I set a bouncer on him. If anything, he's gonna beat me up even more now." Peter shouted, trying to get the point across.

"Then stand up to him." Steve replied, trying to sound like a supportive father.

"The last time I did that, I had to fight for money to pay for his medical bills, and I already told you how that ended!" Peter shouted at the top of his lungs. Steve finally stopped talking. Peter then turned his attention on Wanda and Vision. "Did you two know about this?"

"Uh, kind of." Wanda answered.

"And you didn't tell me why exactly?" Peter asked.

"Mr. Stark swore us to an oath of secrecy." Vision replied. "I apologize for keeping this information from you."

"See, a robot has more empathy than you morons." Peter said, making one final jab at everyone in the room. He opened the glass door so strongly it smashed as he walked through the doorway. Everyone jumped as Peter walked away. The room fell silent for several seconds until, once again, Tony broke the silence.

"How did he hear us?" he asked the room.

"There is an electronic bug attached to your clothing." Vision explained.

"When did you notice that?" Tony asked angrily.

"3 seconds after you entered this room." Vision stated.


End file.
